Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW04097’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW04097’, characterized by its uniform and upright plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; dark red-colored flower bracts; large and numerous cyathia; early flowering habit; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar designation: ‘NPCW04097’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘NPCW04097’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new freely branching Poinsettia cultivars withupright and uniform plant habit, attractive flower bract shape andcoloration and good postproduction longevity.

The new Poinsettia originated from a chance cross-pollination in 1999 oftwo unknown proprietary selections of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Thecultivar NPCW04097 was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2001as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated chancecross-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany. Theselection of this plant was based on its attractive leaf and flowerbract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2002,has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘NPCW04097’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘NPCW04097’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiacultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and uniform plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Dark red-colored flower bracts.    -   4. Large and numerous cyathia.    -   5. Early flowering habit; response time, about 7.5 weeks.    -   6. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarFismars, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,977. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the newPoinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Fismars in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were less vigorous than plants        of the cultivar Fismars.    -   2. Flower bract color of plants of the new Poinsettia was darker        red than flower bract color of plants of the cultivar Fismars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of asingle flowering plant of ‘NPCW04097’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany during the fall undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperaturesranging from 17 to 2820 C., night temperatures ranging from 15 to 22°C., and a maximum light level of about 60 kilolux. Cuttings were plantedinto 13-cm containers when rooted and pinched once. Plants were floweredunder natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about17 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailedbotanical description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar    NPCW04097.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unknown selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd., not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd., not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 days at 22° C.            Winter: About 15 days at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 20 days at            22° C. Winter: About 23 days at 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; freely-branching; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit; inverted            triangle; top of plant rounded; moderately vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 25 to 30 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 28 to 35 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five            to eight lateral branches develop after pinching. Length:            About 23 cm. Diameter: About 5 to 10 mm. Internode length:            About 2 to 5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Strength: Very            strong; stems resist breakage. Color: 143A overlain with            183A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single.            Quantity of leaves: About 8 to 15 per lateral branch.            Length: About 4 to 12 cm. Width: About 3 to 6 cm. Shape:            Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire or            irregularly and slightly lobed. Venation pattern: Pinnate;            reticulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,            smooth. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 144B.            Developing foliage, lower surface: 143C. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: 137B. Fully expanded foliage, lower            surface: 138B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 138B.            Petiole: Length: About 3 to 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 to 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 183B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the            cyathia. Inflorescences not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter; flower initiation            and development is induced under short day/long night            conditions.        -   Response time.—Early flowering, about 7.5 weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia            maintain good substance and bract color for about three to            four weeks under interior conditions and about four to five            weeks under greenhouse conditions.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch; about            five to eight per plant.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 15 to 20 cm. Height            (depth): About 2 to 5 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity of fully developed flower bracts:            About six to eight per inflorescence. Length: About 6 to            9 cm. Width: About 4 to 6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.            Base: Obtuse. Margin: Mostly entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color: Developing and            fully expanded bracts, upper surface: 46A to 46B. Developing            and fully expanded bracts, lower surface: 46A to 46B.            Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as lamina. Bract            petiole: Length: About 1 to 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 187B.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia: About five to ten per corymb.            Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Length:            About 4 to 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 to 5 mm. Shape: Ovate.            Color, immature and mature: 143C.        -   Nectaries.—Quantity of nectaries: One to two per cyathium.            Diameter: About 2 to 3 mm. Color, immature: 13A to 14B.            Color, mature: 24A.        -   Peduncle.—Length: About 1 to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Aspect: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Glabrous, smooth. Color: 145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity of stamens: About            five to ten per cyathium. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther            length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 9A to 12A. Amount of            pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 9A to 12A. Pistils: Quantity            of pistils: One per cyathium. Pistil length: About 3 to            5 mm. Style length: About 2 to 3 mm. Stigma shape:            Bi-parted. Stigma color: 185A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from 14 to 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW04097’, asillustrated and described.